Anybody interested in Star Wars, there's an event on at the Spaceport 20-21 October. The guy who played Greedo will be there, as well as a chap who played an admiral (the chap Darth Vader did that choke thing on in the first film ). http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/newsa...d=1284&catid=1

GCap Media's Classic FM has signed a five-year partnership deal with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and will broadcast a series of special concerts hosted by Katie Derham.

The station's output will include 25 live concerts and a six-part history of the orchestra.

All the concerts will be recorded at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and will be heard on air in Live at the Liverpool Phil on Sunday afternoons at 5pm from the beginning of January 2008

The station will also bring the Liverpool orchestra to the Royal Albert Hall for two special concerts next year, the first of which will feature the world-renowned pianist Lang Lang.

The Liverpool Philharmonic was Classic FM's first arts partner in 2001. Classic FM managing director Darren Henley said the news deal was the stations largest investment in live orchestral music to date.

Classic FM has struck its biggest live music deal with a series of 25 concerts featuring the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, to be presented by Katie Derham.

New programming will include a six-part history of the orchestra, a monthly programme broadcast from Liverpool on a Sunday night, and weekly reports on the city's cultural life throughout 2008 fronted by the Liverpool Echo arts editor, Joe Riley.

Classic FM will also move its entire output to Liverpool for a 24-hour period at the beginning of next year, with presenters including Simon Bates, Jane Jones, Jamie Crick and Mark Forrest broadcasting live from the city.

MSN maps seem to have a new map of Liverpool up - looks like it's taken only six months ago maybe, but the construction anoraks will know precisely. Sorry if this has already been announced here, but it's news to me. It's a far better resolution than you get on google earth, who have done Manchester in its highest resolution but not Liverpool (poor show google).

Excellent link. I don't often check out these map websites, but this is the best I've seen. Quality photography. I reckon it was taken in late May, judging by the abundant foliage and the Cruise Liner Facility in Canada Dry Dock.

What reference points would the forum look at to date it? I was struggling with the new developments, mainly due to the angle of the shots.

Liverpool in pole position to become Shanghai’s gateway to UK and Europe
Oct 17 2007 by Alistair Houghton, Liverpool Daily Post

TESCO’S Liverpool-born chief executive Sir Terry Leahy will be sharing his experience of trading in China at a lecture this month.

Sir Terry, whose company is expanding its hypermarket chain in China, will speak to more than 300 leading busi-ness and political figures at St George’s Hall on Tuesday, October 30.

The Liverpool Shanghai Partnership, one of the event’s organisers, says Sir Terry’s lecture will help build Liverpool’s reputation as one of Europe’s most China-friendly cities.

The LSP aims to build business relationships between Liverpool and its Chinese twin city.

Liverpool lags behind other UK and European cities in terms of attracting Chinese investment, but the LSP says Merseyside is in a prime position to become a gateway to Europe for Chinese manufacturers.

LSP chief operating officer Dr Kerry Brown said: “Sir Terry’s speech is a powerful and compelling recognition of the strength of Liverpool’s relationship with China and the importance of that to the UK economy.

“Our twinning arrangement with Shanghai, in particular, gives us a substantial advantage over other British cities trading with China.

“Twinning is taken very seriously in Shanghai and Liverpool is hugely privileged to have the relationship.

“Shanghai’s economy is blazing a trail into the future and Liverpool is in pole position to cash in on the mouth-watering import and export opportunities.

“We want to position Liverpool as Shanghai’s gateway to the UK and Europe. To put the special relationship in context, Shanghai has invested £12bn in St Petersburg in Russia which it shares a similar twinning relationship with.”

Liverpool in pole position to become Shanghai’s gateway to UK and Europe
Oct 17 2007 by Alistair Houghton, Liverpool Daily Post

TESCO’S Liverpool-born chief executive Sir Terry Leahy will be sharing his experience of trading in China at a lecture this month.

Sir Terry, whose company is expanding its hypermarket chain in China, will speak to more than 300 leading busi-ness and political figures at St George’s Hall on Tuesday, October 30.

The Liverpool Shanghai Partnership, one of the event’s organisers, says Sir Terry’s lecture will help build Liverpool’s reputation as one of Europe’s most China-friendly cities.

The LSP aims to build business relationships between Liverpool and its Chinese twin city.

Liverpool lags behind other UK and European cities in terms of attracting Chinese investment, but the LSP says Merseyside is in a prime position to become a gateway to Europe for Chinese manufacturers.

LSP chief operating officer Dr Kerry Brown said: “Sir Terry’s speech is a powerful and compelling recognition of the strength of Liverpool’s relationship with China and the importance of that to the UK economy.

“Our twinning arrangement with Shanghai, in particular, gives us a substantial advantage over other British cities trading with China.

“Twinning is taken very seriously in Shanghai and Liverpool is hugely privileged to have the relationship.

“Shanghai’s economy is blazing a trail into the future and Liverpool is in pole position to cash in on the mouth-watering import and export opportunities.

“We want to position Liverpool as Shanghai’s gateway to the UK and Europe. To put the special relationship in context, Shanghai has invested £12bn in St Petersburg in Russia which it shares a similar twinning relationship with.”

The magic of Star Wars has returned to Spaceport in Wirral as stars of the films meet with fans.
The legendary Darth Vadar, Stormtroopers, Clonetroopers and real life stars of the movies will all make an appearance on Saturday and Sunday.

Artefacts and memorabilia from sci-fi films will also be on show.

The event is the first in a new exhibition called Sci-fi at the Movies which will run into Capital of Culture year, 2008.

Stars appearing at the event include Paul Blake, who played Greedo, Rusty Goffe who was a Jawa and Richard Le Parmentier who starred as Admiral Motti.

The exhibition will feature memorabilia from sci-fi films throughout the years including Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Spiderman, Harry Potter and ET.

Councillor Mark Dowd, Chair of Merseytravel, said: "This tribute weekend will be fantastic for Star Wars fans and we are really pleased to have the stars of the films with us.

"It was incredibly popular last year so we've expanded Spaceport to make it bigger and better for visitors."

Langtree has been named as the preferred developer of the Kingston House site in Liverpool city centre.

The site, which is owned by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), is at the corner of Strand Street and James Street.

The site has been earmarked for a 100,000 sq ft (9,290 sq m) office building of between 10 and 12 storeys once the existing 1960s building has been demolished.

The selection process was run by regeneration agency Liverpool Vision. Martin Lloyd, NWDA head of property, said: ‘A new landmark building in this important location will help to continue the transformation of Liverpool city centre.’

Sounds like another person holding out for the money. I hope they level the part of the site they do own. Surely an open area, perhaps with a bit of temporary gravel would look better than what is currently on the site?

Yup, no doubt whatsoever the owners are after more dosh. If they get CPO'd though, and the Council are successful, they won't get any more than the market value anyway and I imagine the NWDA have gone to the top end of that already. Hopefully they will give in once they realise CPO is to be pursued and just accept the money offered. I can't see the Council losing, providing they and the RDA have done everything properly. They also now have the experience of Lime St.

Great news that this site is to be redeveloped. It looks awful at the moment. Liverpool needs all the modern office space it can get, and adding a nice clean building behind the graces, extending the building line of the strand and bringing people into the area will make a big contribution to the area.

It's just a pain in the arse that these people are doing this out of greed and delaying progress on a key (tourist) thoroughfare. It is a boarded up staircase FFS. At least the Lime St pair were talking about their shops. Hopefully it can be bulldozed and temporarily landscaped quickly.

Liverpool needs all the modern office space it can get, and adding a nice clean building behind the graces, extending the building line of the strand and bringing people into the area will make a big contribution to the area.

Indeed. And hopefully with a mid-rise on this site, coupled with the mid-rise One Park West, pressure will be put on the owners of the Doll's House to replace it with something more be-fitting it's position on The Strand - or at least sell-up to someone who will.

I do hope the owners do act quick on realising a cpo coming their way, and this site can be levelled straight away. Its one of the worst eyesores, and in a promient place, and now disused and all life gone since Coopers left.

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Police station saved in the nick of time
Oct 27 2007 by Catherine Jones, Liverpool Echo

A HISTORIC building has been saved from demolition at the last minute after being given listed status.

Conservation officers stepped in at the eleventh hour to save the old Westminster Road police and fire station in Kirkdale from the bulldozers.

The 122-year-old site was spot-listed by English Heritage on Thursday after nearby residents expressed concern that it could be destroyed.

City officers who visited the site found part of a perimeter wall knocked down and some floorboards removed.

They were able to halt the demolition of the Victorian building, described by English Heritage as “a distinctive and well-preserved example of a late 19th century police and fire station complex”.

Cllr Berni Turner, executive member for environment and heritage, said: “English Heritage noted it was unusual for this type of building to have survived in such a good condition.

“It’s historically very significant but it’s only through the prompt action of our conservation team it’s still standing.

“They rode to the rescue as soon as we had confirmation English Heritage had given it grade II listing and have been able to preserve a significant building for the city.”

Demolishing a listed building without consent is a criminal offence.

The building was designed in 1885 by Thomas Shelmerdine, the corporation surveyor and cost £10,056.

It was built at a time when Liverpool’s police force was being decentralised and local, more community based stations were being established.

English Heritage said: “It is remarkably unaltered externally and displays a high level of architectural distinction using high quality materials.”

English Heritage has also given grade II listing to the Bridewell studios in Prescot Street, another former police station, which in recent years has been an artists studio and was also a location for the filming of Boys From The Black Stuff.